Sectional metal shelving.



J. L. DAVIDSON.

SECTIGNALM'ETM. SHELVING.

APPLlCATIQN men JULY 1. 1914.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

OOO

.I. L. DAVIDSON.

SECTIONAL ,METAL SHELVING.

APPLICATION men JULY 1. 19x4.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

viii h JAMES L. DAVIDSON, 0 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

SECTIONAL METAL SHELVING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

Application filed July 1, 1914. Serial No. 848,386.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES L. DAVIDSON, acitizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county ofLos Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and usefulSectional Metal Shelving, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shelving.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an iniproved metalshelving.

Another object is to provide a sectional metal shelvin which may bebuilt up in sections to di erent heights.

Another object is to provide means whereby the various verticallyextending sectional elements of the shelving structure may beconveniently fitted and secured together or takfn apart.

nother object is to provide improved means whereby the varioushorizontall extending sectional elements of the she ving structure maybe conveniently fitted and secured together or taken apart.

Another object is to provide a metal structure, which may be readily setup in the form of open or closed shelving or for a counter.

Another object is to provide an adjustable brace for bracing shelving ofdilferent dimensions.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section ofthe shelving, set up in the form of open shelving. Fig. 2 is a partialtransverse sectional view of the shelving, set up in the form of closedshelving. Fig. 3 is a partialtransverse sectional view of the shelving,set up in the form of a counter. Fig. 4 is a partial longitudinalvertical section of the shelving,

Figs. 5, 6'

taken on line 90 -00 of Fig. 1. and 7 are fragmentary views of modifiedforms of the shelving standards. Fig. 8 is a sectional view of theshelving standard, shown in Fig. 7 and taken on line w zc of saidfigure. Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional view of the shelving, taken online co -fir of Fig. 1. Fig. 10 is a horizontal sectional view of theshelving, taken on line 38 -33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 11 is a view of theshelving brace. Fig. 12 is an enlarged view of the brace-connectingelement. Fig. 13 is a partial vertical longitudinal section on anenlarged scale of the shelving, as shown in Fig. 10 and taken on line na-x of said figure.

The shelving comprises two rows of standards, a front row composed ofstandards 1, and a rear row composed of standards 2, and shelves 3supported upon said standards in a manner hereinafter described. Thestandards 1 .and 2 are similarly spaced apart in their respective rows,so that each of the standards 2 rests directly in the rear of one of thestandards 1. The standards are built up in sections 1, which sectionsare bent from sheet metal and are preferably U-shaped in cross section.The sections are placed in position for use, with the open sides of thesections in the row of standards 1 facing the open sides of the row ofthe standards 2.

Each section 4 is formed with a groove 5 at its lower end, which extendsalong the three closed sides of the section. At the upper end of eachsection is formed a flange 6, which extends inwardly along the threeclosed sides of the section and is adapted to engage the groove 5 forthe purpose of locking said sections together, one above the other andin alinement with each other. In order to put the sections 4 of thestandards together the ends of the side portions of the flange 6 of onesection are inserted in the open ends of the side portions of the groove5 of the other section, until the intermediate portion of the flangeengages the intermediate portion of the roove, in which position thesections are in a inement with each other and locked so that the groovedsection can not be moved forwardly of the flanged section, and neithersection may be moved sidewise with relation to the other section.Bearing members 7 are placed in the groove 5 in the lowermost section 4,each bearing member being adapted to rest upon the floor or othersupport to assist in supporting the standard.

Each section 4 is provided with a series of rows of holes 8, which rowsare spaced ver tically at a uniform distance apart in the sections andthroughout the entire height of the standards. The holes 8 are locatedin the opposite side walls of the sections 4, and each hole in each rowof holes in one side of the section registers with a corresponding holein a row of holes in the opposite side of the sections. Each of saidholes and its companion hole in the opposite side of the section areadapted to receive a pin 10 for supporting a shelf 3. The pin 10 ispreferably in the form of a staple, the members 11 of which are spacedat such distance apart that they may be projected through two holes ineach of said elements is at its respective ends provided with holes 16in its opposite walls, which holes are adapted to register with theholes 8 in the sections 4, so that the pins 10 ,may be inserted throughthe holes 8 in one of the sections 4 and the holes 16 in the ends of theconnecting element 15 to secure said element to the section 4, thusconnecting a pair of front and rear sections 4 of the standards 1 and 2.The connecting elements 15 are provided with upturned flanges 17 attheir respective sides, the ends of which flanges project over the inner'ed of the opposite walls of the sections 4. heflanges 17 are spacedfrom the sides of the U-shaped element 15 and comprise with the sides ofthe elements 15 shelf flange-receiving members which are U-shaped incross section.

The shelves 3 are bent out of sheet metal and have side flanges 20 andend flanges 21. Reinforcing bars 22 are placed against the innersurfaces of the side flanges 20, and their ends are bent at right anglesand rest against the inner surfaces of the end flanges 21. Projections23 from the flanges 20 extend around the lower edges of the reinforcingbars 22 and engage the inner sides of said bars to retain saidbars inposition against said flanges. The flanges 21 and the right angularlyextending portions of the reinforcing bars 22 are cut away at theirlower edges to provide notches 25.

The standards 1 and 2 are respectively spaced apart in their respectiverows at such distance that the shelves 3 may fit therebe tween, and thestandards 1 and 2 are spaced.

at such distance from each other that the ends of the shelves may restagainst the side walls thereof. The shelves are placed between the pairof standards 1 and 2, with the right angularly projecting ends of thereinforcing bars 22 and the portions of the shelf end flanges 21adjacent said right angularly projecting end 0 said reinforcing barresting upon the pins 10, and with the end flanges 21 engaging the innersides of the flanges 17 of the connecting element 15. The pins 10support the shelves upon the standards l and 2 at the desiredelevations, and the engagement of the endflanges .21 of the shelves withthe flanges 17 of the shelf-connecting elements 15 connect therespective pairs of standards 1 and 2 together When the shelves aresupported in position on thestandards by the pins 10,- said pins rest innotches 25 of said shelves,'so that lateral movement of the shelves inone direction will cause one end of the notch to engage the pin andprevent such movement of the shelf in one direction, while any movementof the shelf in the opposite direction will bring the other end of saidnotch against said pin and prevent such movement, so that the shelvescan not slide laterally out of position. \Vhen the parts of the shelvingare thus assembled, the upper wall of the connecting element rests inalinemcnt with the upper surface of the shelves 3, so

that thereis no opening between the ends of the shelves. The pins 10 maybe shifted to different holes in each row of holes 8 in the sections 4,so that when the shelves are supported on said pins, the position a ofthe side edges thereof, with relation to the outer edges of thestandards 1 and 2 may be changed. As shown in the drawings, the rightside edges of the shelves ilrest flush with the outer edges of thestandards 1, while the left sides of the shelves 3 rest within the leftedges of the standards By shifting the pins 10 to the holes to the leftof thfiholes in which they are shown in the drawing, the position of theshelves, when placed upon said pins, will be such that the left sides ofthe shelves would rest flush with the left edge of the standards 2,While the right edges of the shelves 3 would rest at a distance withinthe right edges of the standards 1. Any number of holes may be providedin the rows of holes 8, so that the shelves might be shifted to variouslateral positions on the standards.

The shelving, as shown in Fig. 1, iswhat is termed open shelving, forthe reason that the shelving has no back wall. In Fig. 2 of the drawing,shelves 3 are placed ver ticallv between the rear standards 2 againstthe left side walls of the shelving 3 to provide a rear wall for theshelving, the positions of the pins 10 and the shelves 3 being such asto provide for such position of said vertical shelves.- The flanges 21of the shelves 3 are provided with holes 35 which are adapted toregister with the holes 8 in the sections 4, so that rivets 36 may beextended through the holes in the shelf flanges 21 and the sections l tosecure the shelves in vertical position to the standards at the rear ofthe shelving. \Vhen the shelves are placed vertically between thestandards 2,

as shown in Fig. 2, the upper faces of the shelves are turned inwardlywith relation to the shelving.

If desirable, the shelving may be put together to form a counter, asshown in Fig. 3. When used as a counter, the shelves 3 are placedvertically between the standards, as above described and as shown inFig. 2, with the exception that the upper faces of the shelves areturned outwardly instead of inwardly, the holes 35 in the end flanges ofthe shelves being adapted to register with the holes 8 in the sections 4whether the upper' surfaces of the shelves are turned inwardly oroutwardly. In this counter structure shelves of such width are used forthe ver tical wall as to leave a space between the lower edge thereofand the floor, which provides a sanitary counter structure. The sections4 are preferably provided with an upper row of holes 45 for the pins 10to support the shelves on the sections liush with the upper ends of thesections. This arrangement is particularly desirable when the shelvingis built up to form a counter, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

The shelving is braced by bracing rods 50, which are pivoted together at51 and connected at their ends to the adjacent stand ards 2 by means ofthe couplings These couplings 53 are secured to the standards 2 byscrews 54. which project through the holes 8 in the sections 4 of saidstandards, and the nuts 55, which screw on the ends of said screwsagainst the inner walls of the sections. The bracing rods areadjustable, so that the standards may be spaced at differentdistances-apart for shelves of different length. In order to adjust thebracing rods to the standards, when placed at different distapces apart,the couplings are disconnected from the standards 2 so that saidstandards may be moved toward or away from each other. The standards arethen moved to the desired distance apart for a shelf of differentlength, in which position of the standards .the disconnected couplings53 are brought into register with the other holes 8 in the standards 2.The screws 54: are then introduced through the said other holes 8, andthe nuts 55 are screwed onto the ends of said screws. The couplingelements 53 are provided with a plurality of holes 56, through which ascrew 57 may be introduced for connecting the ends of the bracing rods50 in different positions on said coupling element, if necessary, in'order to make the braces fit properly between the couplings. In bracingthe shelving, the braces may be placed between any two standards. Theyare preferably placed between two standards at the respective ends ofthe shelving at the top of the same.

In the modification of the standards. shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing,one end of the section 4 has an integral, reduced portion, over whichslips one end of another section. The upper section is secured to thereduced portion of the lowersection by means of rivets 68. l

In the modification of the standards,

shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing, the sections 4 of the standardstelescope witheach other, one end of the section having a, projectingmember 65 secured thereto, over which slips the lower end of anothersection 4. The upper section is secured to said projecting member byrivets 66. r

In the modification of the standards,

the sections 4.

\Vhen the parts are set up in the form of closed shelving, as shown in Figs. 2 and 10,

the shelving is divided into separate compartments by compartment endwalls 70, which extend across the shelving between and within each pairof standards 1 and 2. In this form of shelving, connecting elements 75are substituted for the connecting elements 15, used for the openshelving, through which elements 75 the walls extend, so that onecontinuous wall 70 ma) be used to close the ends of a plurality ofsuperposed compartments. The connecting elements '75 are composed of twoU-shapcd sections 76, which extend side by side between the standards 1and 2. Each member 76 comprises an intermediate member 77, side members78 and 79, and a flange 80, which projects upwardly from member 79 andis engaged by an end wall 21 of a shelf -3 to hold the pairs ofstandards 1 and 2 together.

When a wall 70 divides two compartments, the sections 76 of eachconnecting element are placed within and against the side walls of thestandards, with their side members 78 toward each other. \Vhen anelement 75 is placed in this position, a space is left between themembers 78, owing to the relative dimensions between the standard sidewalls and between the outsides of the side members 78 and 79 of thesections 7 6, through which space the wall 70 extends. In this positionof the connecting element 75, the flanges are at the respective sides ofthe element for engaging a shelf flange 21 at each side of the element.

\Vhen a wall 70 closes an end of the shelving, one of the sections 76 ofthe connecting element 75 is reversed and placed so that its flanges 79and 80 receive therebetween the flange 78-of the other section 76, andthe flange 78 of the reversed section lies adjaqent the inside of theoutside side walls of the standards at the end of the shelving, leavinga space between the said member 78 and the outside standard side wall,through which space extends the wall 70 which closes the end of theshelving. The flanges 79 and 80 are connected along their lower edgesbut are spaced otherwise and provide flangereceiving members which areU-shaped in cross section.

If it is desired to usethe shelving asa cupboard, doors 90 may be hingedto the standards 1 to close the front of the shelving compartments.

' What I claim is:

1. In sectional metal shelving, a plurality of channel shaped standardsarranged in pairs, connecting: members secured to the standards of eachpair, shelves having depending end flanges, de ending flange receivingmembers carried by the connecting members onopposite sides of saidconnect ing members and each being substantially U-shaped in crosssection and designed to receive the flanges on said shelves.

2. In metal shelving, a plurality of standards, connecting memberssecured to the standards, spaced parallel flanges carried by anddepending from the connecting members and being connected with eachother along their lower edges, shelves and flanges on said shelvesengagin between the parallel flanges, said standar sbeing channelshaped, said spaced parallel flanges projectin over opposite faces ofone of the sides 0 each standard.

3. In metal shelving, upright channel shaped standards arranged inpairs, a pair length, shelves and flanges on said shelves engaging inthe flange receiving members.

4. In metal shelving, a pair of standards each being channel shaped andhaving their open sides opposed, a channel shaped connecting memberextending between and secured to the side flanges of the channel shapedstandards, and a parallel offset flange secured along one longitudinaledge of the connecting member and projecting over the outer face ofi oneof the side flanges of the standards. I

In testimonwhereof, I have hereunto set my hand at os Angeles,California, this 25th day of June, 1914.

JAMES L. DAVIDSON.

"In presence of ALAN FRANKLIN,

Lommnrn E. Dmmow.

